This blog is all about stories...stories about me, about my life, about Dubai, about my life in Dubai (and Abu Dhabi), and about anything that I find interesting enough to share with you...Enjoy!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Nothing is easy. Everything is complicated. And confused.

Don't know about you but it seems like this kind of crap only ever happens to me! (although, deep down, I know that that's not really the case, but still...)

In today's lesson, we will discuss renewing your driver's license, and how to drive a person to ultimate frustration.

First, the facts:1) I've had a license for 10 years here. 2) It was time for it to be renewed. 3) It was originally issued in Abu Dhabi4) I now live in Dubai (and my residence visa is issued there too).

Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi

I head to Abu Dhabi Muroor last week. This is where they inform me that they will complete the renewal procedure in Abu Dhabi but that I'll have to pick up my license in Dubai because that's where my visa is. Fair enough.

So I do the eye test (20 dhs), pay for the renewal of my license (110 dhs) and get my picture taken, and they give me a bunch of papers and tell me to head to the last counter.

I go to the last counter and show them my papers and they hand me a driver's license (!!!). Slightly confused but not really thinking much about it, I head out of Muroor and get into the car. As we were about to hit the road, I get a call. From Muroor. Asking me to hand the license back because I need to get my license from Dubai.

OK fine, so I go back up the 100 steps of the Muroor building, hand over my short-lived license, and get a letter confirming the file transfer to Dubai.

Chapter 2: Dubai

Back in Dubai. I call RTA to find out where I can pick my license up. The man on the phone (sounding like he knows what he's talking about) tells me I need to go to Deira to get it. I get annoyed because the last time I went to Deira was probably 3 years ago...or something like that!.

Not satisfied with my answer, I call Tasjeel in Barsha to see if I can pick it up there. They say no but give me the number of the Bur Dubai Police station (which is located in Barsha right next to Tasjeel...go figure!). I call them and some woman says she has no idea but to call the RTA (she gives me another number). I call that number over and over again, but no one answers. I call Bur Dubai station again and the same woman picks up. When I complain that no one's answering, she says "well you know it's Ramadan, and we have Ramadan hours". I ask her what the Ramadan hours were and she says "9AM-2PM" (anyone know how I can get myself a 9-2 job? Please?). Mind you, it was 12PM when I called.

Anyway, I finally reach someone the next day who says that I can get my license at the Bur Dubai police station (in Barsha) which is a relief cause I actually know how to get there.

So I go the next day, and go straight to the information desk. The woman tells me I need a no objection letter, copy of passport, pictures, eye test...

Me: "No no you don't understand, I already did all that and gave the documents to Muroor in Abu Dhabi...I just need to pick up my license"

Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"

Me: "But this letter here confirms the transfer...I do not have a no objection letter anymore because I gave the only copy I had to Abu Dhabi Muroor"

Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"

Me: "Can I speak to a supervisor"

So I speak to a supervisor who confirms that "There is a misunderstanding between Abu Dhabi Muroor and Dubai Licensing Department...there is not transfer of files that actually takes place. You need to do the whole procedure all over again"

Me: "But this is ridiculous, I already paid and did the eye test..."

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH.....F*&^ING HELL!

The man was nice enough to try to help me on the spot by saying that if I got someone to email the No Objection letter he would issue the license for me...But I knew that was a long shot because:

a) It was lunchtime and the odds of me finding someone from my HR department were slim to noneb) The letter needs to be issued by Media City, and needs a few days

So now I have to go back in a few day's time, once I have the stupid No Objection letter (what's with this whole no objection crap anyway??? Why would someone object to me having a driver's license? Is there any other country in the world that requires a friggin no objection letter to get a license???)

My father called Abu Dhabi Muroor to ask them to clarify, but of course, no ones there could give him an answer because they were simply clueless.MORAL OF THE STORY: IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR SANITY, AVOID DEALING WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AT ALL COSTS!

34 comments:

It is well known that you cannot just do the paperwork in one emirate and be handed a license in another. hell, you cant even do that in the US. You can transfer over a license, but you cant undergo renewal in one sate and be handed a license in another.

So moral of the story: You are a stupid cunt bag who is naive and if you dont like how things are done here go back to your hell hole of a home!

Once again A Blessing in Tragedy voices the articulate opinion of a minority of one we all know him so well for.

ABIT, answer me this, seeing as you are all-knowing: If it is so well known that it is not possible then why did the Abu Dhabi Muroor believe it was possible? Or are they a "a stupid cunt bag who is naive and if you dont like how things are done here go back to your hell hole of a home". (Your words not mine)

Really very sorry to hear about this news DS and disappointing to read ABIT's comments. I am convinced that someone's hacked his e-mail or there are duplicate accounts causing all this mayhem.

Seriously, can I offer you some advice to help maintain your sanity ya Sunshine? I'm not going to promise you quick governmental procedures, but just sanity, or a bit more of it at least.

Anything requiring inter-Emirate cooperation is a recepy for disaster. Big time problems. For your case it might actually be less hassle to let your company PRO transfer your visa to AD, then renew the license in AD rather than get into all of that crap.

To give you an idea, there is a positive flipside to this all. I bought a 2nd hand vehicle on the last day of Sha3baan (just b4 Ramadan) and I did it via the dealership. However for the transfer of ownership the new owner (i.e. me ) needs to be present. So I went to Al Barsha where you went to say hi to the RTA. Mind you I never set foot in that building or any other RTA/Police building since I got my license (10 yrs ago!) That's another story. Anyway, the seller was British with a Dubai visa, the vehicle had a Dxb number, I was in Dxb etc, so we were done in no time. 30 min for the mechanical test (200dhs) and another 20 min or so to get the mulkiya + numberplate (250dhs).. Ok, it might be expensive but it got done quickly because everything was based in Dubai. I was super-anal about these things so I got a lot of paperwork just in case they needed it.

I really feel for you, and when you said license registration I immediately got worried without reading the rest of the post!! Coz I know you did the AD>DXB move, and trust me, it's going to hurt.

Anyway the plus side is that inshalla ur sorted for another 10 years, sa7?

Don't be so hard on ABiT - he'll stop being so obnoxious when he grows up. Perhaps he'll become distracted when he discovers girls/boys or whatever takes his fancy. Don't despise him, just pity him... Bless.

Match it to a day/time stamp to any of his 'tasteful' comments and a lawyer or 'a close friend' can retrieve his account detail: Name, address and contact from Etisalat for legal action against that account holder... (Or simply out the fucker on UAE Comm)

@ Buj thanks for the advice. Transferring my visa would actually be more trouble. Much easier to do the whole process all over again here in Dubai (all I really need is a new "No Objection" letter).

You'd think that both the RTA here and Muroor in Abu Dhabi would communicate a bit more with each other...I'm certainly not the only case with a visa transfer, and setting up a procedure to deal with such cases should not be difficult.

@ ANONs, thanks for the support :)

@ Sky...unfortunately there is no way I can report a blogger...I can delete comments but whatever...I've decided to ignore from now on.

btw, in my new job some of my work involves talking between two gov agencies.. each on the same street.. it takes me 10 min to walk to their offices from mine, but it takes 2 months to get a response from them on a work matter.

they are both dubai gov.. they are both ultimately run by the same guy, they are all in the same emirate.

but for some reason, they just don't like to work with each other.

honestly, i'm very sorry to have experienced that, but reading about your problems really doesn't surprise me after what i been through.

sadly what gets screwed up for us is the status of the dubai market.. i'm not out to get any personal stuff done like a new license or visa or whatever.. we're talking bigger stuff, and some guys will not see it this way!

Being 10 years in the UAE , I guess you should not be surprised for such an experience.. I too have my share of experiences and I guess things are getter better overall now.. Its better to check things online on sites like www.dubai.ae or other government sites like www.rta.ae . These sites provide more accurate information than the people u speak to their toll free numbers.

Enyone, who reads " A Blessing in Tragedy's" comments,can understand the pre-historic cavemen mentality of Arabs. Their faith is pathatic as much as they are. It's good to see that now they are eating the same shit that they used to feed others. I was luckey to leave that shit-hole, before the shit hit the fan. Now, I'm in North America and really see the contrast between them. You have no technology, no more resources( except sand which you can eat or sell), so be ready to go back to your tents , riding your camels. That's where you really belong.

Look, who is talking. Racism is official in UAE. Discrimination & exploitation are social norms in your part of the world. When people building their empire using exploited labour and borrowed money; yeah, that mkes you intelligent!

I see ABIT has been spreading his filth to on other Blogs. DubaiSunshine, even though you cannot report a Blogger, what you can do is record his IP address, save his comments as evidence and if you want, I can pass it on to my contact in the federal government -- let's see how well "Blessing" reacts to a lawsuit ;-)

I've been harassed with his insane thoughts & ideas, but today he has crossed the line.

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With so many hassles in the daily life issues in the UAE it is no doubt a beautiful place to visit for holidays, either by flights to Dubai or visiting Abu Dhabi. There is so much one can do here and wish everyone luck on not getting his/herself into any troubles.